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Yes, and I would sleep with it if I could get it to the house. Very well made machine. SS is important to me, I keep clay in it for days or weeks if I'm out of town. My best ever purchase. There is so much more of me to make pots and so much less mess from assorted semi dried out clay waiting to be reclaimed. I waste nothing now, including my energy. I'm not production, either, but my production has gone up since I got it.

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I don't have experience with that particular model, though at the studio, our pugger sees little use. There are two issues with the pugger we have.... For one, the clay in the chamber isn't accessible, so switching clay with this particular model is rather difficult for small batches. The second issue is that the pugger is so small that it's not worth the trouble over reclaiming with bats and then wedging... Just keep this in mind before making that purchase!

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I have the VPM 20. The only the I don't like about it is that it didn't come with a twin. It would be great to have one for stoneware and one for porcelain. The cleaning necessary for changing clays isn't that easy. It's not stainless. I primarily use it for porcelain and have not had any of the reported problems. Keeping my fingers crossed. The Peter Pugger used to be the only mixer/pugger on the market. Now Shimpo and Bailey make them.

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I spent part of last Monday at Peter Pugger plant in Ukiah,Ca . They made a main seal bracket for me on the spot as well as hooking me up with all new seals and cord.I Talked story with them on all models. I have a new to me used VPM -30

I work with Porcelain and they suggested if I want to store clay in barrel use their stainless steel model.as it pits it faster than other clays. The downside of the smaller hobbie size VPM 9 is it only hold a pug of clay. I know a potter with that unit and it small size is an issue. He wishes he got a larger size. The next one up VPM 20 is 600$ more but holds 45#s which is a fair amount.

They told me that the small hobby model VPM 9 is what they sell the most at this time-thats the largest market segment.

Studio potters and schools buy the larger ones

If you are using Porcelain get the SS model for sure.

I'm storing 1/2 porc and 1/2 white stoneware in mine-it will pit it and I do not care. Peter Pugger or anyone for that matter can sandblast the aluminum barrel to smooth it out down the road -thats what they told me at Factory

Great folks and quality stuff but they are not potters they said.The owner was out when I was there but I did some some mugs made by potters I knew over 30 years ago in the mug collections .

25#s of clay is such a small amount to process as Colby stated above. The machine size is not that different from the smallest to the next one up-remember not all the clay gets extruded as some stays behind so you will be getting less than a pug.

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Thanks for the input. I never thought of some clay remaining behind. Since I am spending extra for SS I can see getting the 20 over the 9 for the price diff.

I have wanted one for years. I now have the ability to get one and trying to justify getting it. I get buyers remorse bad when spending a large amount of money. Not needing anyone to justify the purchase for me, I just wanted insight on aspect I may not have looked at.

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There is clay left on the walls-the paddles-shaft-back wall etc.Its not like you put 25#s in and 25#s comes out. All clay machines that I know about have this quality to them. Porcelain and other sticky bodies more so-maybe low fire clays are the most sticky??

Thats another topic.

Mark

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Mark C., I was jealous, that you snagged a pug mill from my backyard. But you seem to have put a lot of work into it, that I wouldn't have been able to. So it has a good home, and no doubt warmer weather.

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I will be frank about this-the main issue with the mill was it was used in a High School setting with zero matainance for 8 years. Its not that they need much but grease and oil once a year or two keeps the thing well lubed. The cords were also rashed. You as a school teacher may not want to hear that but its the truth. These are buildt like tanks but even a tank needs a grease gun now and again

Now I have a new machine after $250 including parts main seals (that includes a main seal cap with 3 seals pressed in) also all new seals thru-out the machine

new cords as well as new vacuum gauge as someone had over twisted the one that came with it -darn students.

It works like a dream now and I could always sell it for what I have into it. I also know more about one than I would have liked but I know every part now very well and knowledge is a good thing.I now know how to diagnose problems with them as well now.

Its to soon to say how I will like it so far its been pretty sweet-I made an outflow table for it today and ran 50#s of scrap slab clay thru it. Fast and zero wedging which made my wrist happy

I feel I saved it from the heathins and coming from a family of teachers I feel your pain.

I was the only one in my family to choose to be a non teacher and work with clay for a living

Mark

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Uh Mark, my Amaco,wheels clearly advertise they need very little maintenance..... Honestly, prior to my arrival, that's probably what they received for a couple decades. Yet another facet of being an art teacher, you have to know how to maintain and even repair the equipment; wheels, kilns, enlargers, cameras, etc.